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Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Green Olive & Lemon Sauce

October 07, 2013

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We don't eat a lot of red meat in this house. In fact, it is a very rare thing. I am inclined to eat less and less of it these days, but . . . when I do, I try to make it a treat. And so, when we do have it we will indulge ourselves with a nice steak, or a good roast . . . some nice pork or lamb chops, or . . . as in this recipe here today . . . the filet mignon of the pork kingdom, a good free range Pork fillet, as it is called over here, or Pork Tenderloin in North America.

This is a cut of pork that comes from the loin, the eye fillet. It is a lazy muscle, which means it is very tender and lean. It can also be somewhat lacking in flavour when compared to the shoulder or the leg, but it also provides a beautiful canvas (much like the chicken breast) for you to paint upon it with lucious combinations of flavours in the shape of special rubs or sauces.

It also means that it is easily prone to drying out and so great care must be taken not to over cook it. I believe in this modern age it is quite acceptable to cook the tenderloin just until it is pink inside. You will come to no harm. Remove any tough white membrane or sinew from the outside of the loin
before cooking (easily done with a sharp knife.), or the silverskin as it is known. There is a great tutorial on how to do that with photographs, here.

If roasting a whole loin, stuffing it will help keep it
moist (prunes, apples, mushrooms, blue cheese are all good stuffing
ingredients) as will a splash of liquid added to the roasting tin (wine,
cider or stock all work well). Cut into slices (medallions) or strips,
pork fillet can be pan-fried in a matter of minutes. Really, do take care not to over cook it and dry it out.

Today I coated it with a simple herb and cheese crust, along with some olive oil. It was cooked in a mere 30 minutes. Whilst it was cooking I created a delicious Green Olive and Lemon Sauce to serve spooned over top of those tender slices of pork.

It made a change from gravy. It was so delicious. This is truly Dinner Party Fare, so you will want to book mark it for one of those special occasions! What's nice about it too, is that it is quick and very easy to prepare and has such a lovely presentation. Enjoy!

Tender roasted Pork with a golden rosemary flecked cheese crust, served with a delicious sauce. This is dinner party fare!

For the meat:

2 (400g/3/4 pound each) pieces of whole pork tenderloin fillet

3 TBS olive oil

150g finely grated Parmesan Cheese (3/4 cup)

a small bunch of fresh rosemary, stripped and finely chopped

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 TBS olive oil

1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped

250ml of white wine or good chicken stock (1 cup)

1 juice of 1/2 lemon

a handful of dry cured, stoned green olives in garlic and herbs, chopped

Preheat
the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place the cheese and rosemary
onto a sheet of baking paper and mix well together. Have ready a
roasting tin.

Trim any sinew/fat/silverskin from the
tenderloins and discard. Season the pork filets and brush with 1 TBS
of the olive oil. Roll the pork fillets evenly in the cheese mixture,
patting them lightly so that they are evenly coated. Place them into
the roasting tin. Drizzle each with 1 TBS of the remaining olive oil.

Roast
the tenderloins for 30 minutes in the heated oven, until the pork is
cooked through and the crusts are golden brown. Cover lightly and leave
to rest in a warm place.

For the sauce heat the olive oil in a
shallow pan. Add the shallot and soften, stirring frequently. Add the
chicken stock or wine and bring to the boil. Reduce by 1/2. Whisk in
the lemon juice and olives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Tip any
juices accumulated into the roasting pan into the sauce and whisk in.

Serve the pork cut into 1/2 inch slices with some of the sauce spooned over top.

I like to serve this with mash and a green vegetable.

This was absolutely lovely. Sometimes I make myself very proud of what I have done. Forgive me for my in-humility on this occasion! Sometimes what I do even amazes me. I love it when that happens.

Helen, a banana shallot is sort of an elongated shallot. The proper name is the Echalion Shallot, and they are like a cross between a shallot and an onion. Here is a link where you can see them and learn more about them!

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About Me

Marie Rayner

Canadian ex pat deliciously living and cooking in the UK. I cook and eat every day. I like to take pictures of it and then share it with you!

How I got Here

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 17 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Contact Me

If you have any questions or want to work with me, feel free to e-mail me at mariealicejoan@aol.com

Colour me Chuffed

Thank You

TWEET

Did You Know???

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.